The reopening completes the first full-scale renovation of a Pokemon Center store anywhere outside Japan. The Jewel outlet, closed since April 1 for the overhaul, first opened in 2019 as the brand’s first permanent store outside its home market and has spent seven years building a local following. Taipei has since gained an outlet, and a Bangkok store is due to open at CentralWorld this year, gaming site Geek Culture reported.
Pokemon Singapore first announced the renovation in early March, when Channel News Asia and The Straits Times reported that the store would shut on April 1 for an estimated three months and reopen in the third quarter. To keep the brand visible during the closure, the company ran temporary pop-up stores at Jewel Changi Airport and at Plaza Singapura.
At the storefront, models of Solgaleo and Pikachu set against a backdrop of the Singapore skyline will greet visitors. Solgaleo, a Legendary Pokemon with a sun-like mane and a body resembling a lion, was chosen as the symbol of the revamped store, a nod to Singapore’s nickname, the Lion City.
Inside, the design draws on Singapore’s cultural heritage, with touches meant to feel familiar to local fans while giving overseas visitors a distinctly Singaporean Pokemon destination, according to Pokemon Singapore.
“All 20 new unique products are specially designed for Pokemon Center Singapore, with the first 12 items going on sale at the grand reopening,” Pokemon Singapore said.
The first wave includes plush toys of Solgaleo and Pikachu, a plush of Pikachu holding a durian, a kopi cup and saucer set modeled on the city’s traditional coffee, a logo pin, strap keychains, a magnet, a metal plate, a sticker set, a postcard set and an A4 clear folder. The artwork imagines Pokemon living in a Singapore cityscape, with the city’s iconic Dragon Playground among the designs. A second wave follows in August, including a bag charm depicting Pikachu and a cup of kopi.
The revamped store also adds a dedicated event space at the back, fitted with a large monitor for video game and trading card game sessions.
“Strategically located at Jewel Changi Airport, the center serves not only as a place for local fans, but a hub for Pokemon fans from around the world to battle, trade and connect,” Pokemon Singapore said.
To handle the crowds expected in the opening days, entry will be controlled from July 1 to 5 through a mix of advance reservations and same-day queue tickets, both free.
Visitors who book ahead through the Store Visit Application can enter between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. From 1 p.m., entry switches to same-day queue tickets handed out on-site from 8:30 a.m. daily on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. After the opening week, the store returns to its regular hours of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily at #04-201 in Jewel Changi Airport.
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